1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a rotary input apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a mobile terminal has the numbers 0-9 and the symbols * and # on a keypad of 12 keys. In addition to the numbers, there are also alphabet letters as well as consonants and vowels of Korean letters marked on such a keypad, to enable the input of numbers and letters. There are also navigation keys formed above the keypad equipped with a variety of functions such as searching phone numbers, writing and managing text messages, and connecting to the Internet, etc. While there are various forms of navigation keys, such as button types and rotary types, etc., the use of rotary input apparatus is currently increasing, as they enable various functions such as menu browsing, etc.
With the widespread use of such rotary input apparatus, there is a desire among users for visual elements, on top of the general functions of the apparatus. In the conventional rotary input apparatus, however, only the basic functions for input by rotation are implemented, so that the users' demands for improved convenience and greater aesthetic value are not fully being satisfied, and various functions still have not yet been implemented such as incoming signal announcing, in which the rotary input apparatus is actuated in response to an incoming signal.